't Smisje BBBourgondier - Brouwerij Smisje

Beerzebub

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Attractive red color. Head quickly dissipates. Specks of lace.

Smells of caramel, solvent, alcohol, red and green apples, lemon cough drops, maraschino cherries, vanilla. Very nice in a booze and candy way.

Tastes almost too sweet at first - caramel, raisins and candied fruit - but toast and herbal bitterness quickly step in and manage to achieve some kind of balance. Also earth, wood, and booze. Very unusual herbal character, presumably valerian and lemon balm. No discernible hops, I can't distinguish the hop bitterness from the herbs. Long finish, herbal and woody.

Suggestive of an ancient pre-hops beer, the ridiculously strong kind reserved for funerals of shamans... yes, I'm a dork.

Quite drinkable for what it is. Strange and wonderful stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2007 07:23:02 | More by Beerzebub

chOAKbarrell

Maryland

3.28/5  rDev -17%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Short, fat little bottle with a stumpy neck. Interesting messy colorful label. Muddy colored beer. Off to a not-so-great start.

A kinda sweet, alcoholish smelling beer.

Interestingly enough, the alcohol doesnt come through all that strong in the taste. Well, not like you'd think a 12% beer would. It seems pretty even to me. A pretty satisfying hearty aftertaste.

This is pretty much "just okay" to me, straight down the line. I would never be able to distinguish it from a thousand other Belgians.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2006 02:02:12 | More by chOAKbarrell

DaggerEyes

New York

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a glass on tap at Mugs Ale house

Poured a hazy reddish brown with a very little head, that didn't stick around too long

a little Sour and a bit earthy on the nose, scents of plum, caramel, maybe a little bit of fig.

Tastes of apple orange, plum, raisin, cola, caramel, a very tastey beer.

glad to have had the opportunity to have this on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2008 15:04:09 | More by DaggerEyes

SacoDeToro

California

4.72/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice amber with a dense off-white head.

The aroma had a wide array of complex components: Brown sugar, dates, plums, burnt raisins, and some zesty spices were carried up by the volatile 12% alcohol.

The flavor of the beer was simply amazing. Every sip brought out new and complex flavors as it warmed up. Everything from well rounded caramel and dark fruits, to lively and spicy poached apples and pears. Slight phenolics added a nice tingle to the especially high alcohol content of this brew. A reasonable level of fusel alcohols helped give this brew a warming sensation. The floral hops were slightly higher that most quads I've had, helping to balance out the sweetness that is typical of the style.

The mouthfeel was medium/heavy with a syrupy viscosity. A nice creaminess helped round out the flavors. The carbonation was perfect. Many bottle conditioned quads can be a little too carbonated, but this one was dialed in.

The amount of complexity and bouquet of flavors and aromas made this beer very drinkable, having me look forward to each new sip. This was an outstanding quad, at the top with Rochefort 10 and Westy 12. I'm off to the store to stock up on some more.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2007 18:11:58 | More by SacoDeToro

alovesupreme

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A.Cloudy burgundy in appearance.Hard to see carbination due to cloudyness. Very small head probably due to the pour of the waitress.
S.Plum is the most prominant smell. With some other fruits in the mix, and a hint of alcohol.
T.Unique even among quads. A hint of plum and fig, sweet but does not hinder.
M.Near perfect carbonation. Mouthfeel is full and pleasant.
D.Excellant for a quad, I would be able to drink two of these and enjoy the whole ride a third would be pushing it.The alcohol is also a factor to consider at 12%.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 23:49:11 | More by alovesupreme

spoony

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From a 330 ml bottle into a chalice.

A-The brew has a unique, reddish-orange-hued brown color...lighter than most quads. It is quite murky. A normal pour produces about one finger of dense, tan head. A thick cap hangs around but leaves no lacing.

S-The smell is sweet and boozy, but not hot or alcoholic smelling. I get some brown sugar and dark, overripe fruit scents.

T-The taste is also sweet and boozy with flavors of overripe fruit, molasses, and rum. There is a little hit of spicy pepper on the finish.

F-The brew is medium-bodied with a little hit of fine carbonation. Between the fine carbonation and the lingering cap of foam, it produces a nice creamy feel.

O-This is a pretty good quad with a unique flavor that tends toward fruit and sugar, instead of fruit, spice, and tobacco flavors. The high ABV is not hidden, but is displayed in a tasteful manner. This brew doesn't compare with my favorite quads, but I would not hesitate to drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 04:30:12 | More by spoony

jameaterblues

New York

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

So I picked up one of these when I realized that it had already aged 5 years...listed on the bottle "Brewed in 2002."

I don't know how familiar people are with the plant valerian...but it is a natural sedative....and also some lemon balm is in this thing too.

These people put some interesting things in their beer.

A-The bottle looks appealing...short stubby 11.2ozer with an attractive label. It pours a bubbly hazy murky amber, and has a 1/4inch bubbly brown greyish tan colored head...light lace rings around the glass.

S- Thick malty sweetness, roasted sugars, fruity yeast, big cherry, berry and other red fruits, and a hint of lemon...basic characteristics of a quad...and I am surprised that there is no foul smell from the valerian.

T/M/D- Thick and sweet...the sugars and fruit(cherry, raisin,and plum) are present in the body, a pungent hop alcohol burst right before the finish, and the beer lives on your mouth between sips....there is a really unique oily lemony finish....I really have not experienced anything quite like this...I look forward to trying more beers from this brewer.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2007 03:45:17 | More by jameaterblues

lou91

California

3.68/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer was well behaved on the pour with a little head and a malty honey alcohol nose. It is a dark brown opaque ale with small bubbles that just looked creamy. It is creamy with an instant alcohol warmth. The taste is surprisingly light and dry with alcohol dominating the palate. Nice sweetness with a citrus dryness making for a clean finish. The label read “ale with spices” but I can’t taste spices other than coriander is a minor way. As it warms, the flavors come together better but this may need a year or three to mellow. It also is a bit thin.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2005 04:55:13 | More by lou91

PopeJonPaul

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Murky toffee brown with a massive puffy root-beer-float-sized head, smells like fermenting fruit and biscuits. Great lacing left behind in the glass.

Flavors of bananas, cinnamon, brown sugar, caramel, fruit pectin, gold raisins with an alcohol bite. A taste balanced between 2 extremes (sweetness and alcohol) with everlasting carbonation, the alcohol bite is not so much that it would put you off though, it's more of a compliment to the sweetness than anything. This beer made the hair on my forearms stand up. Not a cheap beer, this stuff is worth the price though.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2004 01:52:44 | More by PopeJonPaul

zjungleist

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Pours a deep reddish brown, and in a tulip glass the head was most excelent.The smell was sweet, with lots of dark fuits (dates, figs, raisins), and good belgian ale yeast. The taste was very malty and fruity, and fairly sweet as well. The mouthfeel was slightly syupy with slight carbonatoin, and the alcohol presence was masked extremely well. Drinkability was low, only because this is a sweet, thick beer with lots of booze in it.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2006 03:02:48 | More by zjungleist

ncbrewerbun

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured a copper color with a couple finger very creamy off-white head that lasted and laced the glass.

Aroma was malt, caramel, dark fruits (prunes, plums, raisin) and a hint of pineapple.

Flavor was a great balance of the dark fruits noticed in the aroma and malt.

An enjoyable beer. Interesting complexity and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2005 03:31:42 | More by ncbrewerbun

midnite2sixman

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got this at Siciliano's in Grand Rapids, MI and poured into a snifter while still cool from their cooler.. Reddish brown tint not hazy, not dirty, quite a nice looking beer in the glass. Little bit of head, fine bubbles.

Figs and raisins on the nose, brown sugar, malty goodness.

Taste is quite something on this one, for a big beer you don't get as much of the alcohol as you would think and the malts and the belgian yeast really balance well, brown sugar intermingles with a the malts as well.

Mouthfeel is kind of chewy, quite a lingering affect on the pallete.

Interesting beer! Quite good for a belgian quad.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2009 01:03:09 | More by midnite2sixman

firkinhophead

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. Murky, reddish-brown with fat, plentiful bubbles forming an active foamy film on the surface and a neat ring around the edges. When the chill haze fades it is much more orange and clear.

Aroma us earthy, funky, some hard to identify fruit, like brandied cherries, or prune. Some alcohol in the nose, but nothing too fusel-like.

Taste is of sour malt, toffee, roasted lemon, raisin, some deep orange like Grand Marnier (from the hops?), candy sugar sweetness. The fruitiness is wrapped up in the alcohol warmth like a brandy or mascerated fruit. Bitterness is moderate, with spices and alcohol keeping the finish dry. Some medicinal taste in the finish.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly fizzy, which keeps the body in the medium range. Definitely can smell and taste the alcohol, and this one is going right to my head.

Overall some odd flavors going on here that I am not sure I can get a handle on. Seems to have a lot in common with some American barleywines. I think it lacks some coherency, but worth a try.

Edit: I started this one when it was much too cold. The medicinal and sour flavors mellow a bit as it warms, while the alcohol comes to the front, making for a more whiskey/brandy character. More enjoyable, but still a bit raw. Since I bought it in Chattanooga in a liquor store, so i suspect it has had plenty of time on the shelf to age, if not in the best conditions.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2008 03:23:56 | More by firkinhophead

ggroller

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear, dark amber liquid with a creamy off white head that has no problem sticking to the sides of the glass. Quite a nice looking beer in the glass.

The nose reminds me of a port wine. Slightly fruity and acidic at first followed by a musty, earthy background.

Tastes like peaches and apples up front followed by the sweetness of caramel and brown sugar until finishing with dusty, earthy yeast.

Mouthfeel is chewy and sweet and the drinkability is superb.

Nice one that I'll have again. And again, and again, and again.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2005 12:36:43 | More by ggroller

trancefishy

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pours a hazy copper colour, a thin receding off white head. looks nicely carbonated. had to be careful, as there was a lot of sludge in the bottle that was floating particularly high.

aroma is toffee, caramel, and a bit of an estery alcohol. not the strongest smelling beer I have had, and certainly the faintest of any belgian strong dark ale I have encountered.

Taste is fully caramel, bread notes, clay, pear, and honey. the alcohol is certainly present, but it fits with the flavour profile. finishes sweet and has a long, pleasant aftertaste of apples. overall the flavour is kind of old tasting, a bit muddled.

mouthfeel is light and effervescent. nice amount of champagne like carbonation, but not enough to kill the flavour. medium-light body. drinkability is fine as I can finish the bottle, and I don't see why you would want to drink 2 of these in a row anyhow.

A nice beer, nothing marvelous, but not bad by any means. Another notch on the belgium post, and grab it if you see it. This will not be a repeat buy for me, as it cost 4.59 for a small bottle, and I can get better belgians for cheaper.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2004 02:48:14 | More by trancefishy

StoutHearted

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a nice malty Belgian whose mouthfeel feels like its going to start out as a Flemish red, but quickly develops into heavy malt instead of sweetness or tartness. The color is a cloudy amber with a large, foamy head that dissipates into lingering lace. The smell makes it hard to pin down the style, but some booziness is detectable after a strong whiff. I think this would be best with some sturdy, aromatic type of food, like blue cheese, to go with it, more so than drinking it by itself.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2008 00:49:43 | More by StoutHearted

daftafne

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had at Rich O's in New Albany tonight -

Poured from the bottle with a finger of head which was gone quickly. This beer had a light brown/deep amber color. Smelled like dates. Initially tasted raisens, dates, and carmel. Then, some resiliant hops. Lightly sweet, fairly smooth. Medium body with the 12% etoh felt on the tongue as I let the beer sit. Very good, I'm glad I was able to sample this rather rare brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2008 23:26:30 | More by daftafne

HombreWing

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle....Duvel shaped glass

Eyes: Bright thru the bottle...popped the cap and it foamed some disturbing the sediment. Like a hazy red sunset now. Head that laced but never more than a finger.

Nose: Sour notes more than anything. some yeast pepperiness.

Tongue: Sour notes there. Some malt sweetness balanced by yeast spice. Finishes somewhat dry

Texture: thin for 12%

Overall experience: I had this beer one other time. Don't remember it like this at all. Fuller bodied...more malt presence. Dark Caramel notes.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2008 06:09:11 | More by HombreWing

Delerium

Maine

5/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've never given a beer a perfect score before, but I'll be damned if this ain't one of the best beers in Ebenezers. Warming, smooth, and this beer will kick your ass. Dark, rich, malty, with the 12% abv very well hidden, with a nice sweet balance. Very lightlty hopped, this is a VERY BIG BEER. WARNING: THIS WILL KICK YOUR ASS! highly recommended Chris

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2007 04:09:53 | More by Delerium

acoatley

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: thick head dissipates rather quick hazey translucent amber in color

Aroma: sweet pears and heavy sugary malt character

Flavor: There's that Belgian yeast smooth sugar and caramel candy

Mouthfeel: creamy low carbonation and chewy

This is good but would probably earn a better score from me in the winter

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2006 02:24:15 | More by acoatley

turdburglar

New York

4.33/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice cloudy mahogany color. Aroma and flavor are pretty much identical... raisins, figs, dates, caramel malts, and spicy. Alcohol is basically undetectable. Delicious, warming and fairly complex, this beer is a real treat. Pick up a few if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2008 22:16:02 | More by turdburglar

biercircus

California

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This reminded me a lot of the 't Smisje Kerst Quadrupel.

A - filled up a Chimay glass nicely with a dark body and a thick, creamy head. Head lasted fairly long with a little fizziness.

S - light smell of vanilla and cola, though not very strong

T - raisiny and milky-sweet coffee, a tad of chocolate and lasting, complex finish, not bitter at all

M- some fizz, some oily smoothness

D- Very smooth, easy to drink, lots of flavor. Good example of a quadrupel, although not as distinct as a Rochefort 10 or a Westvleteren 12.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2006 18:12:30 | More by biercircus